General Nutrition

A. Lauren McAvoy, a dietetic intern at Tufts Medical Center, answers: “While there are claims that individuals with different body types metabolize nutrients differently,...

Excluding skin cancers, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosed in the US, with 140,000 new cases forecast for 2018. Research has linked dietary factors to colorectal cancer risk. Processed meats are associated with higher risk, whereas high-fiber diets are associated with lower risk, although it is unclear how this happens.

Q. Does ground flaxseed have more health benefits than whole flaxseed?

As a result of a proposed schedule change by the FDA, shoppers will see two different types of Nutrition Facts labels on foods and dietary supplements-one old and one new-for about a year and a half. Large food makers were supposed to start using the updated design by July 2018; smaller companies had until July 2019.

Eating small amounts of food throughout the day (grazing), rather than taking in most of your calories in main meals and a few snacks, is associated with greater body mass index (BMI) in women and a poorer quality diet in both sexes, according to an Australian study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Raw orange, red, yellow, and dark green vegetables contain vitamin E and K as well as carotenoids, such as beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A. Mixing a bit of healthy plant oils with your greens helps unlock fat-soluble nutrients. But how much oil do you need to drizzle on your salads to get that benefit?

Why do I get gas and bloating from sugar-free gum?

Q: Who must avoid gluten?A: People who must avoid gluten (a protein in wheat, barley, rye and related grains such as farro and spelt) include people with celiac disease and people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Spreading protein intake more equally among breakfast, lunch and dinner was associated with greater muscle mass and strength (but not mobility) in healthy older adults compared to eating the majority of protein later in the day, says new research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Eating leads to widespread opioid release in the brain, which signals feelings of satiety (fullness) and pleasure, according to a study in the Journal of Neuroscience.